Easy To Use Patents Search & Patent Lawyer Directory

At Patents you can conduct a Patent Search, File a Patent Application, find a Patent Attorney, or search available technology through our Patent Exchange. Patents are available using simple keyword or date criteria. If you are looking to hire a patent attorney, you've come to the right place. Protect your idea and hire a patent lawyer.

A hopper assembly is provided including a hopper, a hopper base, the
hopper being detachable from the hopper base, and a hopper shoe, the
hopper shoe being fixable to the hopper and securable to the hopper base.
A hopper assembly also is provided including a hopper, a first hopper
base, and a second hopper base. The hopper is detachable from the first
hopper base and movable to the second hopper base. A gathering device is
also provided. A method is also provided.

This claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/838,784,
filed on Aug. 18, 2006 and hereby incorporated by reference herein.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A hopper assembly comprising: a hopper for feeding materials to a conveyor; a hopper base, the hopper being detachable from the hopper base; a hopper shoe, the hopper
shoe being fixable to the hopper and securable to the hopper base and permitting the hopper to slide perpendicular to the conveyor; and a spring-loaded clamp for securing the hopper shoe to the hopper base.

2. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the spring-loaded clamp includes a spring, a chamfered edge and a bolt for securing the clamp to the hopper base.

3. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a safety device for preventing the hopper shoe from sliding off the hopper base.

4. The hopper as recited in claim 1 wherein the hopper shoe includes a bearing surface for sliding the hopper off the hopper base.

5. A hopper assembly comprising: a hopper for feeding materials to a conveyor; a first hopper base; a second hopper base; and a rail on an operator side of the first hopper base; hopper being detachable from the first hopper base in a
direction perpendicular to the conveyor and movable to the second hopper base.

6. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 5 further comprising a toggle clamp for aligning the second hopper base with the first hopper base prior to moving the hopper to the second hopper base.

7. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 5 further comprising a safety device for preventing the hopper shoe from sliding off the hopper base.

8. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 5 further comprising a pallet jack for moving the second hopper base.

9. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 5 further comprising a hopper shoe, the hopper shoe being fixable to the hopper and securable to the first or second hopper base.

10. The hopper as recited in claim 9 wherein the hopper shoe slides off the first hopper base and slides onto the second hopper base.

11. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 10 further comprising a spring-loaded clamp for securing the hopper shoe to the first or second hopper base.

12. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 11 wherein the spring-loaded clamp includes a spring, a chamfered edge and a bolt for securing the clamp to the first or second hopper base.

13. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 5 further comprising alignment guides for aligning the second hopper base with the first hopper base.

14. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein the rail includes alignment pins.

15. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein the second hopper base includes a latch for securing the second hopper base to the rail.

16. A method for moving a hopper comprising the steps of: loosening clamps connecting the hopper to a first hopper base; sliding the hopper from the first hopper base to a second hopper base; securing the hopper to the second hopper base;
and moving the second hopper base.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 further comprising the step of: aligning the second hopper base to the first hopper base prior to the step of sliding the hopper from the first hopper base to the second hopper base.

18. method as recited in claim 16 further comprising the step of: disengaging a safety device prior to the step of sliding the hopper from the first hopper base to the second hopper base.

19. The method as recited in claim 16 wherein moving the second hopper base includes lifting the second hopper base using a pallet jack.

20. A hopper assembly comprising: a hopper for feeding materials to a conveyor; a first hopper base; a second hopper base, the hopper being detachable from the first hopper base in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor and movable to the
second hopper base; and a toggle clamp for aligning the second hopper base with the first hopper base prior to moving the hopper to the second hopper base.

21. A hopper assembly comprising: a hopper for feeding materials to a conveyor; a first hopper base; a second hopper base; the hopper being detachable from the first hopper base in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor and movable to the
second hopper base; a hopper shoe, the hopper shoe being fixable to the hopper and securable to the first or second hopper base, the hopper shoe sliding off the first hopper base and sliding onto the second hopper base; and a spring-loaded clamp for
securing the hopper shoe to the first or second hopper base.

22. The hopper assembly as recited in claim 21 wherein the spring-loaded clamp includes a spring, a chamfered edge and a bolt for securing the clamp to the first or second hopper base.

23. A hopper assembly comprising: a hopper for feeding materials to a conveyor; a first hopper base; a second hopper base; the hopper being detachable from the first hopper base in a direction perpendicular to the conveyor and movable to the
second hopper base; and alignment guides for aligning the second hopper base with the first hopper base.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to printing presses and more particularly to hoppers.

Gathering devices such as perfect binders, saddle stitchers and mailroom inserters may use hoppers or feeders to collect sheet material. A saddle stitcher or perfect binder may for example collect folded printed materials fed from hoppers or
feeders onto a saddle or perfect binder conveyor, respectively, to form a magazine or other printed product. In the context of the present application, the term hopper and feeder are used synonymously.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,835, purportedly discloses an collating machine which includes a stitcher assembly which stitches a group of signatures while they are moving. A saddle conveyor travels past a collating station and individual signatures are
fed from the collating station onto the conveyor to form the group of collated signatures. The conveyor carries the group of collated signatures through the stitcher assembly which binds the signatures in each group together.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,724, hereby incorporated by reference herein, describes a signature collating apparatus such as an inserter having a plurality of hoppers or feeders delivering sheet materials to receiving locations on a conveyor.

U.S. Publication No. 2006/0103064 purportedly discloses modular signature feeders that include a frame having a base configured to enable the modular signature feeder to be removably attached to another modular signature feeder or a signature
transfer assembly associated with a signature collation feeder assembly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a hopper assembly includes a hopper and a hopper base. The hopper is detachable from the hopper base. A hopper shoe is provided. The hopper shoe is fixable to the hopper and securable
to the hopper base.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a hopper assembly includes a hopper, a first hopper base, and a second hopper base. The hopper is detachable from the first hopper base and movable to the second hopper base.

In accordance with a further embodiment of the present invention, a gathering device includes a plurality of hoppers mounted on a hopper base. At least one hopper has a hopper shoe, the hopper shoe is fixable to the hopper and securable to the
hopper base. A gathering conveyor is provided and collects sheet material from the plurality of hoppers. The at least one hopper is detachable from the hopper base.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method for moving a hopper includes loosening clamps connecting the hopper to a first hopper base, sliding the hopper from the first hopper base to a second hopper base, securing the
hopper to the second hopper base and moving the second hopper base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be elucidated with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a hopper, a mobile base and a pallet according to the present invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 shows details of the hopper and mobile base shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 shows the hopper mounted on the mobile base.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Moving hoppers around to reconfigure a gathering device may be a time consuming activity that significantly reduces overall productivity. Typically, a hopper is removed or replaced by lifting the hopper off the hopper base with the aid of a
crane, forklift or alternative lifting device and may take forty-five minutes to complete. Depending up on the requirements of each print job, hoppers may need to be reconfigured frequently. In addition, specialty hoppers, for example, card feeders,
may be necessary for some print jobs but may be removed for other print jobs.

To move hopper 10 from hopper base 14 to mobile base 60, bolts 44 on clamps 40 are loosened. Hopper 10 is then slid onto mobile base 60. Once hopper 10 is on mobile base 60, one or more of bolts 44 may be tightened to secure hopper 10 to mobile
base 60. Then pallet jack 50 can be used to move hopper 10 and mobile base 60.

FIG. 4 shows hopper 10 mounted on mobile base 60 and positioned over gathering conveyor. In this example, the gathering conveyor is a gathering chain 110. Hopper 10 has been moved from the typical feeder side position to the operator side,
allowing, for example, hopper 10 to feed reverse lap signatures with less difficulty. An operator side of hopper base 14 is fitted with a rail 120. A clamp 130 on mobile base 60 latches onto rail 120. Vibration of hopper 10 is reduced by securing
mobile base 60 to hopper base 14 via rail 12 and clamp 130. Rail 120 is fitted with alignment pins 122 to aid in proper placement of mobile base 60 over gathering chain 110.

A hopper as defined herein may include specialty feeders, for example, card feeders. Hoppers may be used in gathering devices such as perfect binders, saddle stitchers and mailroom inserters.

In the preceding specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments and examples thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes may be made thereto without departing
from the broader spirit and scope of invention as set forth in the claims that follow. The specification and drawings are accordingly to be regarded in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive sense.